


what he's really fighting for (the thing that haunts his dreams)

by BardicRaven



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Branding, Choices, Gen, Marking, Memories, Rebellion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 12:13:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3809980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BardicRaven/pseuds/BardicRaven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver Queen comes to a realization in the midst of pain.</p>
<p>Not his first, but perhaps, his most important.</p>
            </blockquote>





	what he's really fighting for (the thing that haunts his dreams)

**Author's Note:**

> ##### A little something that poured out onto the pixelated page today in the course of writing.
> 
> ##### -B!

>>>\----------->

As he stood there, the ropes digging into his hands as he held them hard, a lifeline against the pain, the brand burning hot into his skin, he also held onto the vision of blond hair and blue eyes, laughing at his lies, scolding him when she'd felt he'd gone too far, doing what she felt she had to do to keep him safe.

From others.

From himself.

A small act of defiance, but one that was all his.

For now he truly knew what he was fighting for.

He was fighting for the right to choose.

To choose the mask he would wear in the nighttime.

To choose the mask he would wear in the daytime.

He'd never appreciated the power of choice before.

Back then, back when he was Ollie Queen, spoiled child of privilege, wasting his life and his chances, he'd wielded choice like a club, using it to further his own selfish desires and nothing more.

Then later, when he'd fallen into the abyss, lost his home, his name, the person he had been, he'd lost the power to choose anything at all, save the choice of whether he lived or died.

Bent or broke.

And he came to realize how powerful a choice that was.

But now, another came to try to take that power of choice away from him.

And in that blinding moment of clarity, once again given through blinding pain, he knew.

He knew that he would die, rather than lose that power again.

He knew that he would kill, rather than allow another to take it from him. 

He knew that with it, he could finally live.

>>>\----------->

**Author's Note:**

> ##### A little sign of protest of my own against an episode and a direction that has me treading so carefully over the pieces of shattered suspension-of-disbelief lying around everywhere on the show right now.
> 
> ##### Also, I needed to have a brief foray into a land of more hopefullness (so-to-speak) before diving back into 'I will burn your world to ash'.
> 
> ##### Care and Feeding of Writers 101. Who knew?
> 
> ##### If you enjoyed this small look into Oliver's mind, please let me know via a comment and/or by leaving kudos. They do indeed help with the inspiration and the connection with my Muse(s).
> 
> ##### -B!


End file.
